Silk screen printing frame



7, 5 G. o. LEIBENGUTH 2,85

SILK SCREEN PRINTING FRAME Filed Aug. 18, 1955 IN VEN T OR.

GZOFGE U. LE/EE/VGUTH ATTD RN EYE SILK SCREEN PRENTING FRAME George 0. Leibenguth, Flat Rock, Mich.

Application August 18, 1955, Serial No. 529,228

I 1 Claim. c1. 1o1 127.1

nited States Patent between the anchored bar and the side of the frame by rods extended through the tunnels and slots tension in the fabric is adapted to be adjusted and the fabric may readily be removed and replaced as desired.

The purpose of this invention is to expedite changing of stencil designs in silk screen printing, reduce labor and storage costs, improve the quality of silk screen printing, and reduce the number of printing frames required in a shop.

In the conventional manner of retaining the fabric on a silk screen printing frame wherein the fabric is secured to the frame with tacks, the fabric is pulled over the frame and the tacks driven through the fabric into the frame. Other devices have been provided for retaining the fabric in tension and also for adjusting the tension in the fabric. In such devices the fabric is attached to the frame by cord, adhesive, cleats, and hinged devices and with such devices the fabric is damaged. With this thought in mind, this invention contemplates a frame in which edges of the fabric are secured .in slots of anchored and floating bars whereby with positions of the bars adjusted by screws tension in the fabric may be adjusted and also relieved.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for forming a silk screen printing frame wherein a stencil fabric is secured in movable elements whereby tension in the fabric is adjustable and wherein the fabric may readily be removed and replaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a speed frame for mounting stencil fabric of silk screen printing machines wherein the fabric is adapted to be positioned in the frame and removed therefrom without damaging the fabric.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a frame for holding the stencil fabric of silk screen printing machines wherein tension in the fabric is adapted to be adjusted to compensate for changing atmospheric conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved silk screen printing frame in which the frame is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention embodies a rectangular shaped frame having side and end bars with a continuous bar having a groove in one side positioned to coact with a similar groove in a side bar of the frame anchored, by screws, to said side bar and with floating bars also having continuous slots therein adjustably mounted by screws and wing nuts on the other side bar and also on the end bars of the frame.

Other features and advantages ofthe invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the frame showing the anchored bar positioned against one side bar of the frame and the floating bars positioned adjacent the other side and ends of the frame,

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the frame taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section through the frame taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of'the frame.

Figure 5 is a cross section through the frame taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a plan view of one side of the frame with the parts as shown in Figure 1 and with the parts shown on an enlarged scale showing a stencil screen positioned with edges thereof secured in bars of the frame and with the lower part of the frame and parts of the screen broken away.

Figure 7 is a cross section through one end of the frame taken on line 7--7 of Figure 6 with the parts shown on a still further enlarged scale.

Figure 8 is a view showing a typical stencil screen with part of one corner broken away showing rods extended through tunnels on the edges of the screen.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, the improved silk screen printing frame of this invention includes side bars 10 and 11 connected, at the ends, to end bars 12 and 13, an inner bar 14 anchored to the side bar 10 with screws 15 and 16 and having a continuous slot 17 in one side, the slot being positioned to coact with a similar slot 18 in the inner surface of the bar 10. Floating bars 19, 20 and 21 mounted on screws 22 extended through the bars 11, 12 and 13 and having slots 23 in inner surfaces thereof positioned to coact with similar slots 24 in outer bars 25 which are of similar shape and complementary to the bars 11, 12 and 13 and secured thereto by a suitable adhesive or any other suitable fastening means, or the bars 11, 12 and 13 may also be made of a single piece of material having a slot extending through the center of one face, longitudinally thereof. The bars 11, 12 and 13 in either instance are retained in position by wing nuts 26 threaded on the screws 22 and adapted to actuate the bars 19, 20 and 21 to increase tension in a stencil screen, such as the screen 27 thereon, or to relieve tension in the screen so that the screen may be removed.

The edges of the screen 27 are folded over and secured by suitable fastening means, such as stitches 28, whereby tunnels 29 are provided in the edges of the screen and with the tunnels inserted in the slots of the anchored and floating bars rods 30 are run through the tunnels and slots whereby edges of the screen are secured in the bars.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the end bars 12 and 13 are provided with elongated slots 31 and 32 through which the rods 30 are inserted so that with the tunnels or hems on the edges of the screen inserted in the slots between the bars 10 and 14 at one side and also between the bars 19 and 25 at the other side the rods 30 may be inserted through the slots 31 and 32 with the ends fastened into the tunnels 29 of the stencil screen whereby the edges of the screen are secured between the bars 10 and 14 at one side and also between the bars 19 and 25 at the other.

The bars 10 and 11 are also provided with elongated slots, as indicated by the numerals 33 and 34, and with the tunnels at the ends of the screen inserted .in the slots of the bars 20 and 21 rods may be inserted through the slots 33 and 34 and passed through the tunnels at the ends of the screen.

As illustrated in Figure 7, the rods 3% :are adapted to slide through the tunnels 2'9 with the tunnels positioned between the :slots 23 and 24 of the floating :bars and wherein the tunnels are adapted to -be freely inserted in the slots before the bars .30 are positioned :in the tunnels. With the bars 30 extended through the tunnels the edges of the screen are Efirrnly secured in the bars or rails.

With the parts designed and assembled :as shown and described, one side of the stencil fabric or screen is anchored by the bar =14 to :the .bar or zrail 10 at one side of the frame and the other three sides are adjustably secured by the bars 19,120 and 21 to the'side and end bars or rails of the :frame and with the edges :of the fabric retained in slots of the bars and between the bar and frame at one side the .fabric is securely held without the use of adhesive, tacks, metal-clamps, cleats, or other mechanical attaching elements. The frames may be provided in different shapes and designs and it will be understood .that the stencil fabric "may be secured or anchored to a side or end bar or rail in any other part of the frame'as may .be desired.

It will be understood that other modifications, within the scope of the appended claim, :may ,bemade in the design and arrangement of the .parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a silk screen printing frame, the combination which comprises side and end rails joined at the corners, one of said side rails having a continuous slot in the inner surface, a bar having a continuous slot in one surface positioned against the side rail having the slot therein, means for anchoring the bar to said side rail with the slot of the bar in registering relation with the slot of the side rail, floating bars with slots in upper surfaces positioned adjacent the side rail on the opposite side of the frame and also adjacent the end rails of the frame, elongated slots in the ends of said side and end rails in alinement with the slots in said floating bars and the slot between said bar and said one of said side rails with said bar and said floating bars being of lesser length than the spacing between said elongated slots, screws extended through the floating bars and also through adjacent rails of the frame, wing nuts on extended ends of the screws for adjusting the positions of the bars, a stencil fabric having tunnels in .the edges positioned with the tunnels of three :edges thereof in the slots of the floating bars and With the tunnel of the opposite edge positioned between the .bar anchored-to the side rail of the frame and the 'side rail of the frame, and rods extended through the elongated slots-in .the side and end rails and the tunnels in the fabric with the tunnels positioned in said slots.

References-Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 155,879 McDonald Oct. '13, 1874 1,892,268 Flo'ckhart Dec. 27, 1932 2,566,919 Black et al. Sept. 4, 1951 

